For DIY types and crafters:
The winter session of the
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Renegade Craft Fair
(Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, 1419 W. Blackhawk St.,
) on Dec. 7-8 features more than 100 indie vendors, including block-shaped, multicolor Blooming Crayons and Ex Libris Anonymous, whose notebooks made from recycled books are perfect for budding scribblers.
For trendsetters:
The Randolph Street Holiday Market
(Plumbers Hall, 1340 W. Washington Blvd., 312-666-1200,
) on Nov. 24 and Dec. 14-15 is the place to shop for fashion-forward kids. Score vintage and modern duds, plus trendy personalized jewelry and loads of one-of-a-kind home furnishings for design-obsessed grownups. Need more incentive? Parking and gift wrapping are free.
For nature lovers:
Satisfy green thumbs at the
Winter Holiday Craft Faire
at Oak Park Conservatory (218 Madison St., Oak Park, 708-848-9661,
pdop.org/events/winter-holiday-craft-faire/
) on Dec. 1, where finds include kid-sized gardening tools and bulbs to pot during the winter freeze.
For socially conscious types:
Cause-driven kids will especially appreciate gifts from the fair trade-focused
Seeds of Change Marketplace
(Berry United Methodist Church, 4754 N. Leavitt St., 773-784-3273,
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) on Dec. 7. Items from more than 20 vendors include pretty floral tops from Ghana-based Global Mamas and artisanal chocolate by local Guatemalan cooperative Maya Essence.